


Back to Where It Began

by LittensTinyMittens (Onasariel)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Episode: s02e13 The Last Dragonlord, F/M, Fluff, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-18 20:29:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16126160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onasariel/pseuds/LittensTinyMittens
Summary: After Kilgharrah has been sent away, Merlin takes his father back to Ealdor.





	Back to Where It Began

**Author's Note:**

> I originally had something a bit bigger planned, but due to time constraints, I wasn't able to do it. However, here is some sweet fluff! Since this is my last fest, I felt that my otp should get the ending they deserved. Thank you to the canon mods for running the fest, and to Lion_owl for betaing!

Balinor was nervous as he rode into Ealdor. It had been nineteen years since he left the village in the dead of night, abandoning the woman he loved. Would she even want him back?

He glanced at the young man beside him. He appeared to be at ease, greeting his fellow villagers as he rode beside Balinor. When he caught him staring, he smiled brightly. Balinor couldn’t help but smile back.

Merlin’s eyes crinkled up like his mother’s, and they were the same beautiful shade of blue. Balinor could see so much of her in the boy. He regretted that he wasn’t there for either of them when Merlin was growing up. He thought he was helping and keeping Hunith safe, but he had damned her to live as a single mother, forced to raise a child with magic on her own.

Not that she didn’t do a good job, of course. She had done a fantastic job. Merlin had her kindness and strength, something he always admired.

Merlin inherited his ears and cheekbones from him, something the Dragonlord felt rather guilty about. Hunith always spoken about how much she loved them, but they were his least favourite features. Merlin also inherited Balinoir’s magic, but his was much more powerful than his father’s. Balinor had been in awe when Merlin killed all of Cenred’s men with a shout of fear, thinking that his father was about to die. 

Balinor wasn’t the only one who noticed Merlin’s magic. Arthur Pendragon had too, and he wasn’t happy. Ulike his father though, Arthur was willing to listen to reason once his anger had ebbed. 

He still didn’t trust sorcery, but he did trust Merlin and that was more than Balinor could have ever asked for. 

Uther wasn’t so forgiving.

Balinor had sent Kilgharrah away, and they had been in the throne room to discuss his terms. When Uther saw Balinor and Merlin standing side by side, he finally saw the family resemblance. It was only with Balinor’s threats of calling Kilgharrah back and Arthur’s insistence that they couldn’t deal with such a threat at this time that saved Merlin from the pyre. He was banished instead, and Arthur personally escorted them to the border.

“When I am King...you two will be welcome in Camelot again,” Arthur said before they parted.

Balinor knew Merlin was still upset about his banishment, but he was also excited to see his mother again and to bring Balinor home. 

“Are you sure she will be happy to see me?” Balinor asked as they approached Hunith’s house. It hadn’t changed. His heart ached at the familiarity of it all...it was as if he never left. 

“She will, I promise,” Merlin said. He dismounted his horse and tied it to the fence, going to knock on the door. Smoke was coming from the chimney, so they could only assume Hunith was inside. 

Balinor followed Merlin’s lead, though he stood a little bit to the side.

He gasped when Hunith opened the door. She was just as beautiful as she had been when he left. She was about to greet their son when her smile fell and her eyes widened when she saw him.

“Bal? Is that you?” she asked. 

“Hello, Hunith,” he said softly. Merlin stepped aside, grinning.

“I found him, Mother. I brought him home,” he said.

Hunith took a step forward, touching Balinor’s cheek. It was as if she was trying to see if this was real or a dream. Her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears.

“Why didn’t you come back? You said you would...I’ve been waiting for you for so long!” she cried. Balinor bit his lip and put his hand over eyes, leaning into her touch and fighting off his own tears. 

“I thought your life would be better off without me. I thought that you would move on, and you could be happy. If I had known about Merlin...I would have come running back in an instant. I failed you, Hunith, and for that I am so sorry,” he said. 

“Yes, Balinor, you did. You said you would come back, and I trusted you. I waited for you for years, trying to raise our son to the best of my ability. I only knew so much about magic, and I could only do so much. I was scared,” Hunith said with a frown. After a moment, her expression softened.

“But look at him now...he has accomplished so much. He brought you home to me,” she said, finally ending with a smile. “Come inside, you stubborn old goat. We have a lot to catch up on.”

Balinor chuckled and let Hunith lead him into the house. Merlin followed, closing the door behind them. Even if they were to spend the next few years in exile...perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if they could be a family again.


End file.
